To sell your house faster and at a higher price, look at it through the eyes of a potential buyer. Their first impressions could be the difference between a sale and a fail.
These simple first steps are cheap, easy and all they take is a little bit of time and minimal expense.
Open your front door and what do you see? Is the hallway full of clutter? Are there junk mail and leaflets on the floor, or children’s toys left on the stairs? Tidy it and keep it tidy. If you are looking to sell your house fast you need to be ready for inspections by potential buyers whenever it suits them.
Look at the walls and ceilings. Do they need some attention? Often, you will only need to give them a good wash down with detergent, but a quick lick of emulsion is a fast and cheap solution to grubby walls. Choose neutral colours. The new owners will want to put their own identity on the property, so off-whites or magnolia are the ideal blank canvas. Also, try wherever you can to de-personalize the property, so the buyers can imagine themselves living there. Chipped woodwork around door frames can also be off-putting and should be touched up. Repainting walls and woodwork also makes them easier to keep clean. Don’t forget to wash curtains and windows, too. A professional carpet cleaning can make floors look as good as new. Remember, every penny you spend is worth a great deal more in the end if you want to sell your house faster and at a higher price.
The bathroom and kitchen are important rooms to consider.
Simply re-grouting bathroom and kitchen tiles will bring them to life without the need for re-tiling. Make sure both rooms are spotlessly clean. The kitchen is the heart of the home, so pay special attention here. Your potential buyers will aspire to a happy, busy family environment. Ensure there is as much light as possible. It is cheap and easy to replace old cupboard doors with brighter, cleaner new ones.
Garden
What’s outside your home can be just as important was what’s inside when you’re looking to sell, especially when you’re looking to sell fast for the best price. It’s important to minimise anything that could be a quick turn off for prospective purchasers.
The garden is often thought of as an extra outside room. To help sell your house faster at a higher price, it is one of the most important aspects to consider to maximize everything your home has to offer.
Potential buyers will want to see your garden as a place to entertain friends or just relax. Remember when you’ve looked at houses to buy, how much did a nice garden make a difference to your impressions of the house.
If you’re wondering where to start and what to do to maximise value start by thinking back to when friends have invited you for a barbecue, what most impressed you about their gardens?
A patio or decking area will add value to your home and increase the chance of a quick sale. With careful forethought, these can be very impressive at the same time as being excellent value for money. Much of the work can be done cheaply by roping in friends to help and offering to repay them with a garden party when the work is finished.
Be sure to tidy the flower beds, trees and lawn. If the flowers are past their best, buy some bright bedding plants from the garden centre to cheer up the borders.
Of course, your house may be on the market at a time of year when the garden is not looking its best. But you can always use colourful pots on the patio or decking or placed around the gardens, and fill them with evergreens.
If you have a shed or outbuilding, make sure that it is free from clutter. Clear away children’s bikes or toys and tidy the shed or workshop. Hanging tools, chairs, etc, from the walls will clear up the floor area and give an impression of more space.
.
Kerb Appeal
To sell your house faster and at a higher price there are many things you can do which cost very little – or nothing at all. First impressions count for a lot. Even if your house is a palace inside, when it is scruffy or unappealing from the outside, some potential buyers may not even bother knocking on your door.
If you want to sell fast at the best price you need to minimise anything that would turn off a potential buyer before they get through your door.
Ensure that the house number is easy to spot from the street. This immediately gives the property an identity. Not having a number visible could almost make your house seem ashamed of itself.
Tidy the garden, weed the path, trim the hedge and above all, hide those bins! Remember to keep the windows clean. If your car is on the driveway, clean that, too.
Does the paintwork look neglected?
If it does, what would a prospective buyer think of the rest of the house? Paint the window frames, even if only the ones at eye level, and of course paint the front door. Choose a strong, rich colour. Dark blues or greens give an impression of solidity, bright yellow or orange may scare buyers away.
Make sure that the doorbell works and that any outside lighting is in order. If your house is viewed at night, this will create a reassuring impression.
You may be so used to looking at your own home that you cannot see its good or bad points.
Take a walk around neighbouring streets, look at your neighbours’ houses and list what you like or dislike. This will put your own property in a different light and will help you decide which jobs you need to do.
Floor And Window Renovation
If you are interested in completing some house renovations but are unsure of where to start, then there are a few factors which, if taken into consideration, will help you get off the ground. Remember more than anything, that making yourself educated and informed before beginning any house renovations is critically important, so that you do not take on more than you can handle and so that you are satisfied with the results.
The flooring in a home is not only one of the most aesthetic aspects, but one of the most valuable as well. If you have good, durable flooring, then your home is going to be worth a heck of a lot more on the real estate market. There are so many great options that you have when it comes to flooring, with the two most popular being hardwood flooring and carpet. Every homeowner has their own idea of what is the right type of flooring, and when it comes to hardwood, one of the fan favorites, they help by giving the home a look of luxury and they are also incredibly durable and go with almost any type of décor. They are also one of the easiest types of house renovations to complete, especially if you get the engineered hardwood flooring that you basically just snap into place.
Another of the most popular house renovations involves the renewing of the windows and doors in the home. Again this is more than just aesthetics, as by ensuring that your windows and doors are in top condition and sealed properly, especially in the winter months you will be saving money because less heat will be able to escape out of your home. Windows are especially important to keep on top of, and replacement windows are one of the best investments that any homeowner can make. By including windows as one of your top house renovations priorities, you can save monthly on your heating and cooling costs, and as well add curb appeal to your home with a much improved visual appearance. If the windows face any direction other than north, consider a shade/blind mounted on the inside of the window that can be positioned to filter the light, or pulled up/down entirely. A layered treatment with sheers for light control and fabric panels on either side is another option.
Alternatively, professionally installed window films can filter UV rays while offering a clear view outside. Couple this with a fabric treatment that dresses the window such as a roman or box pleat valance and side panels. Some films allow you to look out while passers-by are unable to look in due to the mirroring effect that occurs from the outside, this is a great option for rooms where security is of the utmost importance such as home offices and family rooms. Bedrooms necessitate the most privacy so do make sure the treatment has complete light control. Use shutters, blinds or shades that specify complete light control for privacy. In addition, have a fabric treatment that flanks the window with perhaps a valance above it.
Vinyl, wood, and aluminum replacement windows are all incredibly popular and very affordable at most locations as well. The installation process is quite simple as well, and all you really need to do here is remove the old window, install the new one, cut the exterior opening, and trim the window. Also remember that if you are ever not comfortable with completing your own house renovations you can call in professionals to do the work for you.